Research interests

I am a trained mycologist with a strong background in taxonomy and evolutionary biology. The main focus of my research during the past 14 years was the evolutionary biology of grass endophytes. It included the assessment of genetic diversity, aspects of population biology, host specificity of fungi, and underlying mechanisms of speciation. More recently, mechanisms of host specialzation of Botanophila flies and their interaction
with European Epichloë species has become an
additional interest.

A second area of research are arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) including aspects of molecular ecology and mycorrhizal functioning.

LEUCHTMANN, A., AND SCHARDL, C. L. 1998. Mating
compatibility and phylogenetic relationships among two new
species of Epichloë and other congeneric European
species. Mycological Research 102: 1169-1182. (see Abstract)

SCHARDL, C. L., AND LEUCHTMANN, A. 1999. Three new species
of Epichloë symbiotic with North American grasses.
Mycologia 91: 95-107. (see Abstract)